MADISON, N.J. (Nov, 15, 2015) – Despite a resurgent final two minutes, the Drew University men's basketball team (1-1) couldn't quite amass the double-digit deficit it accrued in the opening minutes of the second half and the Rose City Tip-Off Classic Championship ended 70-63 in favor of William Paterson University (2-0).
 
Sophomore guard Yonathan Napoleon netted a career-high 16 points in the setback including two crucial buckets down the stretch. Freshman forward Nate Aldrich led the Rangers with seven boards.
 
The Rangers, after spending most of the second half behind by a double-digit deficit, exploded into a 12-2 run in the final two minutes of the contest. Napoleon provided a glimmer of hope when he sank a three from well beyond the arc. The enormous tray sent the crowd into a frenzy. A manic Baldwin Gym harassed the Pioneers on the following possession, resulting in a shot clock violation. The Rangers charged back down, found Napoleon again who drove to the hoop and brought the score to 65-62, Pioneers, with 42 seconds on the clock. With the shot clock differential at 11, the Rangers needed a big stop. Instead they fouled and the Pioneer center buried the and-one free throw.
 
Defense was at a premium in the contest's early going with no baskets coming easily. Senior guard Brian McLaughlin drew a charge in the first minute of play to spur the Rangers' momentum. William Paterson's defenders' ability to predict the Rangers' decisions and clog the passing lanes created an anxious energy on the floor. Suddenly Drew's passing was rushed instead of calculated. A McLaughlin 3-pointer from the top of the arc calmed things down a bit and narrowed the deficit to nine. The score was 17-8, Pioneers, with eight minutes to go.
 
With six minutes to go in the first half, freshman guard Dan Roibal drained his first career bucket -- a deep three that he punctuated with a big fist pump as he got back on defense. The Pioneers aggressive brand of defense lacked discipline and yielded fouls that allowed the Rangers to claw their way back into the game. They narrowed the deficit to four with three minutes left in the half.
 
At halftime, Drew trailed William Paterson 31-26.
 
The Pioneers exploded out of the break and immediately went on a 10-0 run. The gap that opened as a result proved to large for the Rangers to overcome.
 
The Rangers made 22 foul shots on 30 attempts while William Paterson made just nine of 15. The Pioneers had a slight edge on the boards, 45-41, but Drew grabbed 15 offensive boards while William Paterson had 14. The Pioneer's largest lead of 17 never got surpassed.
 
With the Rose City Classic completed, the Rangers will ship out to Hoboken, N.J. for a contest with the Stevens Institute of Technology. The road tilt will be the final away game before a five-game home stand that will feature two conference games and the Battle of Madison Avenue with FDU-Florham.